medaka

English translation: Japanese killifish

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:medaka
Selected answer:Japanese killifish
Entered by: humbird

17:44 Mar 21, 2007
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Science - Zoology
English term or phrase: medaka
This is a very small, fresh water fish whose appearance resembles "guppy" except a bit less fancy (or unsophisticated).
The term shown above is a Japanese word (or Japanese origin), and as you see this could be one of those things that are introduced into English world without translation (like "bonsa" for dwarfed plant in a pot), I guess.

However, my problem is that I have to come up with some English term for this.
Whe I looked up J-E dictionaries, I found few translations: "medaka", "cyprinodont", or "Japanese rice fish".

Would you help me whether any of above is commonly known and well-accepted term for fish pet lovers (or any concerned party).
Or else, do you know better term?

TIA
humbird
Japanese killfish
Explanation:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oryzias_latipes
The medaka or Japanese killifish, Oryzias latipes, is a very small ricefish, popular as an aquarium fish native to Southeast Asia. It is approximately 4 cm long. Its coloration varies, from brown or yellow-gold in the wild to white, creamy yellow, or orange in aquarium-bred individuals. The medaka has been a popular pet since the 17th century in Japan. It is amphidromous, meaning it moves between salt and freshwater at some point in its life. It is found in both ocean and river habitats. The medaka is a common denizen of rice paddies in coastal Asia. The female carries her eggs attached between her anal fins.
Oryzias latipes is a common model organism used in biological research. It is a simple, short-lived, hardy species that is reproductively prolific and easy to rear in the laboratory. It can withstand cold and can be shipped easily. Nearly all aspects of the life cycle of the medaka have been repeatedly analyzed by laboratory biologists. Sexual behavior, genetic inheritance of coloration, spawning habits, feeding, pathology, embryological development, and ecology of the fish are all published and replicated. Its neuroanatomy and genome are charted.
Transgenic medaka are relatively easy to produce. The fish has been genetically modified to secrete various human hormones, express promoter sequences from other fish, and make antimicrobial proteins and a protein that makes the medaka glow fluorescent green. There are also many mutations that show up in medaka at random, for example, a mutant strain that lacks scales, and one with extra-long fins.
O. latipes has gone into space aboard the space shuttle. It carries the distinction of having been the first vertebrate to mate in orbit. The result of the mating was a brood of healthy fry, hatched on the space shuttle Columbia in 1994.

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Note added at 10 mins (2007-03-21 17:55:32 GMT)
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http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/メダカ
メダカ for the original... ;)
Selected response from:

Fabio Descalzi
Uruguay
Local time: 15:03
Grading comment
Thank you. Hummmm, I did not know medaka has such a special research value.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
3 +4Japanese killfish
Fabio Descalzi


  

Answers


9 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +4
Japanese killfish


Explanation:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oryzias_latipes
The medaka or Japanese killifish, Oryzias latipes, is a very small ricefish, popular as an aquarium fish native to Southeast Asia. It is approximately 4 cm long. Its coloration varies, from brown or yellow-gold in the wild to white, creamy yellow, or orange in aquarium-bred individuals. The medaka has been a popular pet since the 17th century in Japan. It is amphidromous, meaning it moves between salt and freshwater at some point in its life. It is found in both ocean and river habitats. The medaka is a common denizen of rice paddies in coastal Asia. The female carries her eggs attached between her anal fins.
Oryzias latipes is a common model organism used in biological research. It is a simple, short-lived, hardy species that is reproductively prolific and easy to rear in the laboratory. It can withstand cold and can be shipped easily. Nearly all aspects of the life cycle of the medaka have been repeatedly analyzed by laboratory biologists. Sexual behavior, genetic inheritance of coloration, spawning habits, feeding, pathology, embryological development, and ecology of the fish are all published and replicated. Its neuroanatomy and genome are charted.
Transgenic medaka are relatively easy to produce. The fish has been genetically modified to secrete various human hormones, express promoter sequences from other fish, and make antimicrobial proteins and a protein that makes the medaka glow fluorescent green. There are also many mutations that show up in medaka at random, for example, a mutant strain that lacks scales, and one with extra-long fins.
O. latipes has gone into space aboard the space shuttle. It carries the distinction of having been the first vertebrate to mate in orbit. The result of the mating was a brood of healthy fry, hatched on the space shuttle Columbia in 1994.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 10 mins (2007-03-21 17:55:32 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/メダカ
メダカ for the original... ;)

Fabio Descalzi
Uruguay
Local time: 15:03
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thank you. Hummmm, I did not know medaka has such a special research value.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Will Matter: Nice answer! // Yes, I also thought about the "Mile High Club" but I'm not sure as to what actually constitutes 'orbit' so I left it alone. Always fun and never boring around here, that's for sure.
2 hrs
  -> 本当にありがとう ;)

agree  Richard Benham: How can they be so sure Homo sapiens didn't mate in orbit earlier?
4 hrs
  -> ;)

agree  Seema Ugrankar
5 hrs
  -> आभार

agree  ErichEko ⟹⭐
8 hrs
  -> Makasih, Erich!
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